Last year, 35 million people signed up for online college courses, better known as MOOCS, short for Massive Open Online Courses.

The problem is 95 percent of those enrollees quit within two weeks.

Why?

"It's no surprise that so few online learners finish. Few MOOC platforms include features that allow students to collaborate or ask questions in real time. Students are often expected to just click play on a lecture video, sit back, and passively learn," writes Satesh Bidaisee, an associate professor of public health and preventive medicine and assistant dean for graduate studies at St. George's University, Grenada. "They're stuck studying alone, with no sense of belonging to a broader community. If they find a lesson especially challenging, there's no one to boost their morale or guide them over the hump. It's easy to lose motivation."

To read more about how online courses can fix this problem, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Superintendent Bryan Johnson listens to a speaker during an Atlanta School Board meeting in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. APS held its first vote on school consolidation plans. (Abbey Cutrer / AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images